ULVERSTON has been named as the host of one of the best light festivals in the world.

Ulverston Lantern Festival has been named in The Guardian's top 10 light festivals across the globe.

Listed alongside Thailand, Peru and Toronto, the article described the festival as a "spectacular community event that brings out the whole town".

It read: "Four streams of homemade lanterns (fashioned from willow, paper and candles, and with a different theme each year) thread their way through the cobbled streets before uniting and continuing to a park for the finale – a mystifying extravaganza of music, dancing and fireworks.

"The procession had to be cancelled this year, though people still made lanterns at home and sent in photos and videos.

"The inclusiveness and community feel are what make an already fantastic event truly effervescent, and organisers hope 2021’s festival will be better than ever."

The town's annual lantern festival traditionally attracts thousands of people to see the procession light up the streets followed by the firework finale in Ford Park each September.

Due to Covid-19, this year's event, which had a bees and bugs theme, turned virtual, with lantern-makers urged to create their lanterns at home and display them outside their houses.

Gardens and porches around Ulverston, and as far afield as Manchester, were lit with colourful birds and bug lanterns - as volunteers made sure Ulverston's popular lantern festival didn't fall victim to the pandemic.

However, the team behind the popular procession has promised the festival will return in "all its glory" next year.

Chris Nelson, chair of Ulverston Lantern Festival said it was "absolutely fantastic" to be named in the list of events worldwide.

He said: “Including Ulverston Lantern Festival in such a high-powered collection of winter events worldwide was absolutely fantastic recognition of the many hours of hard work which goes into organising the event each year.

"It also demonstrates what can be achieved by harnessing the energy of talented volunteers – whereas I am sure that many of the other events mentioned have big budgets and professional support.

“Well done to The Guardian for highlighting our event – hopefully it will help to attract more people to beautiful Ulverston, and boost the crowds for next year.

"We are hoping that by then Covid-19 will be behind us, and we can reinstate the River of Light through the streets of Ulverston and run the festival in all its glory on Saturday, September 18, 2021."